Every young person’s ‘place’ looks a little different this year. In the 2020 My Place Competition, the ACTF and ALEA invite students to share what everyday life is like during this time of collective isolation. We are releasing weekly teaching materials throughout the competition, providing prompts to guide participating educators, students, and families through the writing process. TUNING IN My Place explores our national history through the eyes of children, focussing on significant events and people over a period of more than 200 years. The My Place book (by Nadia Wheatley and Donna Rawlins) and TV series are ‘time machines’ which take audiences back into Australia’s past. What makes a period of time or event ‘historically significant’? Why can 2020 be considered significant? What will future historians want to know about the lives of individuals, families, and communities during this time? If time permits, ask students to share their knowledge of significant events and people in our country’s past. Collaboratively create an Australian history timeline, discussing the inclusion of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. VIEWING Watch an episode of My Place on ABC Me (Wednesday and Thursday mornings) or iview, or select short clips from the My Place for Teachers website. After viewing, ask students to identify aspects of the episode which reveal the intended historical context. Reflect on and discuss: • Language (discussion topics, vocabulary, degree of formality) • Clothing, toys, hobbies, technologies • The main character’s education • The range of settings • How did the main character spend their time? What problem/s did they overcome? Which aspects of our everyday lives should be incorporated when writing about 2020? What would future generations find interesting or unique to this period? Which unique experiences and perspectives could students include? WRITING Documenting their observations, thoughts, and feelings will help students to craft a compelling picture of life during isolation. Based on their interests and abilities, suggest one or more of the following strategies for students to generate and clarify their ideas. Journals and diaries If your students have been journaling about the experience of isolation, ask them to read back through previous entries, highlighting words or phrases that could be incorporated in a creative writing piece. 2020 Competition | Teaching Materials Week 1: Prewriting